3 Housecleaning Chores I Actually...Enjoy!

If you've read this blog, you know that I seem to enjoy a (hopefully) goodhearted venting about the different household chores I can barely stand. You know: ironing, mopping...and dusting! But, today as I was scrubbing up a few dishes, I began to see things in a different - and dusty (haha) - light. There are,  amazingly, a few household chores or cleaning tasks that I actually enjoy doing.

Okay, pick your slackened jaw up off from your floor, slobbos. I realize this is pretty heady stuff for a snowy Saturday evening. And yes, it is snowy here. In October. But I digress...I realized that once in a while I enjoy the following cleaning jobs:

1. Folding lovely clean and fragrant laundry. Now, don't get me wrong - our little household doesn't create the mounds of laundry that many other households do. For that, I am oh so grateful. But, sometimes when I'm folding towels or tucking socks together into pairs, I feel a sense of peacefulness. I wish I could get my laundry even more fragrant in a natural way, though, so that's one thing I'm going to do a little experimenting on. (Will post another time with the findings. PLEASE post a comment if you have a natural way of getting your laundry to smell like something dreamy like lavender.)
2.   Vacuuming. I don't vaccuum as often as I likely should. (And who sets those rules, anyway?) But, sometimes when I'm enjoying it, I do a little fun dance and boogey along, watching the dirt get sucked up into oblivion. It's not a bad time to think of other things, like laying on a warm, sandy beach. I generally do like chores that allow me to dream - that's what the key is!
3. Okay, there is no number three. haha I'm kidding. I generally enjoy cleaning up the kitchen. Our kitchen is quite tiny, and I like it that way. If it was too big, with too many things to wipe and clean I'd probably resent it. (I'm weird like that.) But our little kitchen is fairly easy to clean up, and I like the way it feels when the sink is clear, the counters are wiped down with a lovely homemade citrus spray (or a natural commercial one is fine too), and the dishes are all sorted away in the dishwasher or are sitting out to dry au naturel. There's a sense of accomplishment about it all, and a light lingering scent of citrus which must do some weird aromatherapy thing to my brain and cause me to feel a goofy sense of joy. Hey, I'll take it!

So, we all know that there are cleaning chores we hate, maybe even love to hate! But do you have any chores that you enjoy?

Laundry Tips and Hints from Readers

None of us exactly feel THRILLED to look at the ever growing piles of laundry in our laundry baskets. So, the best way to get the job done is to - well - DO IT already! Here are some fantastic fresh laundry hints from readers, and of course I just posted some of my favorite laundry hints at http://www.happyslob.com/laundry.html which should also inspire you.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to send in some laundry tips!

Keep up...so you don't have to catch up!
from Lisa:
"The best thing to do with laundry to keep it flowing is keep it going! If you work outside your home, as I do, put a load in the washer in the morning as you're getting ready. When/if it's done before you leave, throw it in the dryer. When you get home, throw another load in the washer and fold the other at the dryer. If you keep it moving, you'll never get behind. It's always easier to keep up than catch up!"

Another Laundry/Vinegar Fan
from April in Texas:
"My favorite fabric softner is white vinegar! It is cheap, enviromentally friendly, and helps those colors stay bright."

Got Spots?
from "C":
"f your laundry is getting spots, cloudy marks, switch your powdered detergent to liquid."

Detergent Recommendation
from Robyn:
"For front loaders......... Have them buy Affresh!! Works great. Sell it at any Home Depot!"

Do Towels Last...and an overall cleaning motto that I love!
from Lisa:
"I like to wash towels last, at the end of the day.
Then when I am tired of doing laundry, I can just let them sit in the dryer until morning(or afternoon) and not worry about wrinkles because I have hopefully done the clothes that wrinkle earlier in the day.
My motto-do the hardest, crummiest jobs first and get them out of the way, then coast through the rest feeling
great accomplishment."

Amount of Detergent to Use
from Sandy:
"I read somewhere that you do not use more soap to clean better or more soap to more clothes, but you simply use the amount of detergent according to the water level you have chosen.

If you have not used this already, it has been useful information to me, as I have always thought you should put more detergent for extra dirty clothes. Too much detergent will cause your clothes to wear out faster and also if you see a lot of lint in the dryer, that is a sign that you are using too much soap. (I may have got this from you happyslob) THank you!!"

No, thank YOU Sandy! And all of you for these great tips!
Christina

Arrived Home from Ireland - Jet Lag Is a GREAT Excuse to avoid Housework!

Hey everyone,

We're back from Ireland! We had a fantastic time, and I am now completely in love with the place. The people were fantastic - friendly and with a very quirky sense of humor - and the scenery was astonishing. My poor husband did all the driving, and adjusting to driving on the other side of the road was tough at first, but by the end of it he was actually enjoying it! (How could you NOT? The country roads pass through everything from low mountains to stunning seaside views.)

I've also learned first hand how hard JET LAG can really hit a person. We've both been struggling to get back into this regular schedule. :) One handy thing, though, is that the jet lag has been a very handy excuse to NOT do my housework! (See, I told you I'm a recovering slob. I don't think I'll ever be truly cured!) But today I woke up and decided that enough was enough, and I'm writing this just after I popped in a large load of laundry. The laundry was piling up to such an extent that it was scaring my two cats. So, it was time to tackle it...

Meanwhile, I want to catch all of you up on some new cleaning ideas I had while away. (Yes, sad but true - I DID think of the blog and site while away in gorgeous Ireland!)

I'm doing the Laundry...and hey, I'm not hating it as much as usual!

So, any of you regular readers will know that I'm not (let's go further than just italicizing it...NOT) a big fan of doing the laundry. But, I'm happy to say that with a new front loading washer machine in our building (Yes, I'm an apartment dweller...quite happily, too) it's become a whole lot easier to get the laundry done! This beautiful new washing machine does a great job at doing the wash, and even manages to use less laundry detergent, which frugal old me just loves.

What is YOUR laundry day? Do you do laundry every day? I know I hear from a lot of Moms that daily laundry is simply a necessity. Have you tried any of the family laundry tips in the book yet? What? You haven't gotten a copy of the ebook yet? :) Poor you...it's really quite a lovely read. Look at what a few Happy Slob Housecleaners have to say about it:


Lovely Words from Slobbos 'round the world

Hey, changing how we do the laundry might not change the world. BUT...it sure does contribute to family happiness! So, as always, any laundry tips are gladly accepted - I'll be happy to share your ideas with all and sundry.

Happy Slob's Handy Laundry Tip of the Day - Keeping Socks Matched Together

I've heard the tip of using safety pins to keep matched pairs of socks together in the laundry. But, I also know that a lot of you have kids. Or else, like me, just happen to be clumsy, accident-prone adults who don't want to face poking pins when they reach into the dryer to pull out the dried bits and pieces.

Solution to this maddening problem? :) Try buying a bulk pack of hair elastics at the dollar store. For - you got it - a buck. Just tie the socks together at the tops with one of these handy little hair elastics, and your socks will stay together. And, at the same time you and the kids won't have to worry about piercing your delicate fingers when all you want to do is get the clean laundry put away.